The Zambia Police, Ndola Division has requested Catholic priest Chewe Mukosa to appear before them next Tuesday to assist with investigations over an unspecified matter. However, instead of waiting for the police to do their homework since no one is above the law whether they’re priests or not, the Patriotic Front and their surrogates have gone full-throttle insinuating that, “Mukosa has been summoned for questioning in connection with preaching against loadshedding and the high cost of living when he delivered his Good Friday message.”

We won’t delve into the issue since we aren’t privy to why the priest is wanted by the police, but shall instead restrict ourselves to interrogating the attitude of a few known Catholic priests towards the New Dawn Administration, and President Hakainde Hichilema in particular. Scriptures say, people perish due to lack of knowledge. Indeed…….the process of training to become a Catholic priest is a tedious one. According to Wikipedia, it takes five or six year full-time Course of Formation at a seminary, including study for a degree or other qualification in theology. The Seminary Course of Formation will also involve placements in parishes of the diocese in which you will gain practical, pastoral and liturgical skills.

Given this background, human as they are; Catholic priests are obviously more knowledgeable compared to ordinary preachers; and when they stand on the pulpit to ‘preach,’ they are not expected to mislead the public on emotive issues such as loadshedding, price of mealie meal or even our current drought situation. But lo and behold, we’ve seen some priests excitedly take to the pulpit and literally engage in politics. They’re quick to whip-up emotions by twisting information and spewing half-truths to cajole the public to start thinking the current administration has failed, lamentably. It’s actually shocking to see and hear them criticise Hichilema and his government in acidic and bitter tones, bereft of any love or compassion!

Don’t these priests realise they’re sowing seeds of acrimony and discord in the Church and nation at large – polarization if you like, by conducting themselves in such a despicable manner on the pulpit? It’s interesting that it’s always the usual suspects – the Mpundus, Mukosas, Lupupas, Mwewas, Kabasos and Chikoyas leading the onslaught. Is Hichilema paying the price for belonging to a “wrong tribe?” How come we don’t often see priests from the Zambezi provinces come out guns and blazing on the current president? We have every reason to suspect this ‘attack’ on Hichilema from some Catholic priests borders on nothing else, but tribalism and regionalism!

Since today marks 30 years since the genocide in Rwanda, we shall take time to reflect outline the chilling account of the role the Catholic church played in the same, whereby 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered in 100 days of violence for which Pope Francis has since sought forgiveness for the “sins and failings of the church and its members.”

According to the March 27, 2017 issue of The Guardian, one priest, Father Athanase Seromba, ordered his church to be bulldozed with 2,000 Tutsis sheltering inside. Another priest, Father Wenceslas Munyeshyaka, equally helped draw up lists of people to be killed and raped. This is according to charges issued by the UN’s international criminal tribunal for Rwanda in 2005.

The publication further highlights that the Catholic church was compromised by its longstanding political ties to the ruling Hutu elite. Archbishop Vincent Nsengiyumva sat on the ruling party’s central committee for nearly 15 years even as it implemented policies that discriminated against Tutsis.Once the massacres started, instead of using his political affiliations to urge the regime to stop the killing, he refused even to call it genocide. Witnesses said he stood by as Tutsi priests, monks and a nun were taken to be murdered!

Further acknowledging its role in such dastardly crimes against humanity; in 2016, Rwanda’s Catholic bishops apologised for “all the wrongs the church committed” during the genocide. Their statement admitted church members planned, aided and carried out the genocide, and that the local church had later resisted efforts by the government and groups of survivors to acknowledge the church’s complicity in mass murder.

We shudder at the thought of history repeating itself in our beloved nation. Our plea to politicians hiding in priestly robes is simple: please, don’t take us on the path of Rwanda.

Prince Bill M. Kaping’a
Political/Social Analyst

By Leemans L. Nyirenda

Soon after Mr. Nakachinda was appointed as Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary General by then Vice President of the party Mr. Given Lubinda, the two hatched up a Lungu agenda named “alebwelelapo” meant to prop up political fortunes of the beleaguered former president Lungu which continued to plummet at an alarming rate. Later, in an interview with the News Diggers and carried in its paper of 22nd September 2023, Mr. Nakachinda alleged that the “alebwelelapo” agenda did not come from him or PF but from the people of Zambia and that the PF was just backing it. It is therefore at this moment not wrong to assume that the duo did present this agenda to Mr. Lungu and judging from his rhetoric and relentless rantings of late, he must have welcomed the agenda.

Mistakenly, Mr. Lungu now thinks he is popular because he has heard the “alebwelelapo” agenda mainly from his surrogates, carefully planted across the country to sing this song. He has also forgotten that this same “alebwelelapo” song was in top gear and part of his campaign strategy in 2021 elections but the same did not save him from the humiliating defeat that befell him. But he is consoled by the fact that he still has the “kasaka ka ndalama” that he obtained when he was Republican President but blinded by the fact that those promoting the “alebwelelapo” agenda are his surrogates who may have benefitted from him through handouts or through errands to do the unimaginable during his rule as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. They know he has the “kasama ka ndalama” and for some time now they have not received handouts and hence quickly welcomed his coming back to active politics so that handouts can find their way to their pockets and homes. They have joined the chorus sorely for the purpose of sharing the “kasaka ka ndalama”

Unfortunately, the man is so unpopular that he cannot even manage to successfully contest an election at presidential level against the incumbent, President Hakainde Hichilema. Mr. Hichilema is now reported to be 10 times more popular than the miserable and shameless Mr. Lungu despite the economic and financial traps that he left behind for Mr. Hichilema to get trapped.

It is now clear that he is very unpopular and cannot win an election against President Hichilema. He can therefore save face and try at a lower level against me for a seat in the National Assembly. I hereby challenge him to an election duel with me in Chawama Constituency just to prove a point that he is very unpopular and cannot “bwelelapo” even ku Chawama.

To pave way for the contest, and if he is not scared, I ask him to ask his daughter Tasila to resign as MP so that a by-election is held ASAP if he is man enough. I want to waya him very badly so that he goes into political oblivion once and for all. Making headlines in the print and mainstream electronic media outlets and social media will not save him from a humiliating election armageddon to come.

He has never apologized to the people of Zambia and he has been a political nuisance and very nauseating of late. His rule was a reign of terror, highly corrupt, and there was a breakdown of law and order (total anarchy) where we saw PF cadres becoming more powerful than the law enforcement officers. Aikona man. I think the man has gone bananas.

Recent incidents in Zambia have brought attention to the significant roles traditional leaders play in the management of natural resources, prompting widespread calls for increased transparency and accountability. While the President bears primary responsibility for overseeing resource management, it is essential to recognize the substantial influence that traditional leaders wield in safeguarding these invaluable resources within their respective domains. However, the emergence of a troubling trend involving certain traditional leaders misusing their authority, particularly in the exploitation of timber and other natural resources, demands immediate and concerted action from society.

A recent report released by the Zambia Police underscores the critical need for enhanced monitoring and supervision of traditional leaders’ activities concerning resource management. The apprehension of Chief Chikwa of the Senga people in Chama District for engaging in unauthorized timber harvesting within a restricted area serves as a poignant illustration of this issue. Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Danny Mwale, disclosed that Chief Chikwa’s encroachment into the restricted zone led to his arrest by the Central Joint Operation Committee. While Chief Chikwa awaits further legal proceedings subsequent to his release on police bond, this incident deeply reinforces the fundamental principle that every individual, regardless of their societal status, must be held accountable for their actions.

The involvement of traditional leaders in illicit activities related to the timber trade is a matter of grave concern, representing a significant breach of trust within their communities and a detrimental undermining of their authority. Multiple instances have surfaced, indicating the complicity of certain chiefs in unlawful timber trading activities across various regions.

Immediate and decisive measures are imperative to combat the pervasive menace of illegal logging and resource exploitation. Accountability must extend beyond the immediate perpetrators to encompass those who enable or condone such nefarious actions, including traditional leaders. It is imperative to fortify monitoring and enforcement mechanisms comprehensively to avert further degradation of ecologically sensitive areas and game management zones.

In my capacity as the Secretary General of the Forestry Institute of Zambia, I wholeheartedly endorse the urgent call for action against the misuse of authority by traditional leaders. Upholding the principles of transparency, accountability, and sustainability in resource management constitutes a fundamental prerequisite for safeguarding the interests of both present and future generations. Let us seize upon this wake-up call as an opportunity to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to responsible environmental stewardship.

Historical Context: Traditional Leadership and Forest Management

Traditional leaders have traditionally played pivotal roles in forest management throughout Zambia’s history, dating back to the pre-colonial era. Kings, Chiefs, and headmen exercised considerable authority over land and resources, governed by the tenets of customary law. However, the advent of colonial intrusion during the 1900s precipitated a significant diminution in the authority of traditional leaders, culminating in the transfer of forest management control to colonial administrators. Subsequently, in the post-colonial era, Zambia adopted a dual governance model, seeking to harmonize statutory regulations with traditional practices overseen jointly by governmental bodies and traditional leaders.

Governance Expert Criticizes Chief Chikwa’s Arrest

Radio Phoenix has reported the scathing critique issued by Governance Expert Wesley Miyanda regarding the arrest of Chief Chikwa in Chama district for purported timber harvesting within a Game Management Area. Mr. Miyanda contends that administrative recourse should have been pursued, given the Chief’s custodial responsibility over land. He castigates the expeditious arrest of Chief Chikwa compared to the apparent immunity enjoyed by the perpetrators responsible for the despoliation of Lusaka’s Forest 27, insinuating potential political interference.

Chief Chikwa’s apprehension serves as a poignant reminder of the broader governance challenges, particularly concerning the enforcement of environmental statutes and the delineation of traditional leaders’ roles in resource management.

The foregoing discussion underscores the inherent complexity of the issue at hand, wherein divergent perspectives emerge. While one school of thought commends law enforcement for its proactive stance in apprehending a purportedly errant chief, an opposing viewpoint advocates for administrative redress owing to the custodial responsibilities vested in traditional leaders. Nevertheless, the imperative of addressing the misuse of authority by traditional leaders necessitates a collaborative and transparent approach involving all stakeholders, encompassing governmental authorities, citizens, and royal traditional establishments.

By holding individuals accountable and fortifying governance mechanisms, Zambia can safeguard its natural endowments for the prosperity and well-being of future generations.

Lastly, I humbly request and implore His Excellency, President Hikainde Hichilema, and the esteemed House of Chiefs to intervene decisively in this matter, thereby upholding the dignity and integrity of our respected traditional rulers.

Eng Chaliafya Katungula
(Forestry Expert)
Secretary General
Forestry Institute of Zambia